Playing-cards and games



J. R. SlLLiMAN, JR-

PLAYING CARDS AND GAMES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.23,1920.

Patented Sept. 13,1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. BILLIHAN, IR, 01" NEW YORK, N. Y.

PLAYING-CARDS AND GAMES.

Specification of Letters Intent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application filed December 23, 1920. Serial No. 432,656.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jam-1s R. Srmaanm, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Playing-Cards and Games, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a novel plan of arrangement as well as a novel system of marking playing cards and the combination of cards so marked, whereby they may be better fitted for the playing of any game of cards in which rouping and numbering of cards may be esired, and particularly the game known as duplicate whist.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the backs of two laying cards with additional markings; igs. 3 and 5 illustrate the faces of two cards with ad- 'ditional markings; Fig. 4 illustrates the face and Fi 6 the back of a playing card having ad itional marking devices connected therewith; Fig. 7 shows the middle portion of a card having a circular hole in its center; Figs. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate the devlces or parts to be addedto the card of Fig. 7 to convert the latter into a card like that of Figs. 4 and 6; Fi 11 is a side elevation partly in section s owin one way of constructing the card and a ded parts of Figs. 4-6, Fig. 12 is aside elevation partly in sectlon of a playing card illustrating a modification of the card,etc., of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 illustrates a device or key for properly arrangin all the cards forming any one whist hand with expedition and certainty.

In the following detailed description, the left-hand side of the drawing sheet will be regarded as the top. Figs. 1 and 2 show the backs and Figs. 3 and 5 show the faces of four playing cards properly marked 1, 2, 3, 4, for the fourhands of a game of duplicate whist. The pack of 52 cards is first arbitrarily divided into four parts or hands of 13 cards each. The 13 cards of each hand are then numbered on the backs from 1 to 4, respectively, as in Figs. 1 and 2, so that there shall be 13 cards bearing each number l'to 4, inclusive' The several cards of the four hands may, ifdesired, be numbered on their faces from 1 to 4 corresponding to the numbers on their backs, as seen in the upper right hand corners of Figs. 3 and 5. In such event the cards of -F1gs. 1 and 2 will have on their faces the numbers 2 and 4, respectively, in their upper, right hand cor- Figs. 3 and 5, I have shown these numbers 3 and 1, respectively, at the upper right hand corner to avoid confusion with the numbers usually placed at the upper left hand corner of laying cards to indicate the suit and card va ue of each separate card, such as 5 of diamonds, 3 of diamonds, etc. It is understood that any suitable signs may be used to mark the cards of the four hands and that they may be placed at any convenient position on the backs and .faces of the cards. 'In dividing the ack into '4 hands of 13 cards each the car s may be so arranged that each of the hands shall have a cardvalue about equal to that of every other hand, or they may be grouped arbitrarily in the several hands, or so as to represent. and illustrate certain whist rob lems or refinements of the game to be p a ed.

As illustrate in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the cards of the pack are ermanently marked, and the same groups 0 13 cards will always form the four several hands. The pack having been apportioned to the four players,

hands 1 and 3 may be held by players A and B while hands 2 and 4 are held by players 1 and Z during the first series of plays, and then exchanged,A and B playing hands 2 and 4 while Y and Z play hands 1 and 3. Then A and B may again play hands 1 and 3 butwith A holding hand 3 and B holding hand 1. Likewise, Y may play hand 4 and Z hand 2, etc. One pack, so marked, may be used, or several packs'may be somarked, one pack to illustrate one kind of whist problem, another pack another problem, .etc.

Fig. 4 illustrates the face and Fig.' 6,,thB'

back of a card with added parts for marking a pack of cards, whereby the markings of the same. pack may be changed as desired. The body of a card, 10, has a hole cut in its central portion and a marking disk, 11, inserted therein slightly smaller than the hole in the card. A covering, disk 12 of thin, strong material, such as paper (Fig. 4) considerabl larger than said marking disk 11, is placed over disk 11, and its outer portion or edge asted or secured to the face of the card ody. A similar piece, 13, of the same material (Fig. 6) is placed over the other face of said marking disk 10 and its outer portion or edge secured to the back of the card body. This leaves disk 11 free to rotate about its center between 12 and 13.

Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, illustrate details of the construction of Figs. 4: and 6, in which card body 10, Fig. 7, has a circular hole cut in its center into which marking disk 11,Fig. 8, is to be placed by moving to the left. Disk 12, Fig. 9, is then placed above said card 10 and disk 11, and disk 13, Fig. 10, is placed below said card and disk 11, and their edges pasted or fastened to said card 10. Covering disk 12 has a hole 12 in its center and two holes 12 on opposite sides of 12 Covering disk 13 also has a hole 13 and holes 13, and they are so arranged, that when all the parts are secured in place, holes 12 and 13 shall be opposite, and holes 12 and 13 shall also be opposite. The dotted circle, Fig. 7, shows the position of disk 12 when in place. Marking disks 11, Fig. 8, has two sets of figures 1, 2, 3, 4 or similar marks, near its outer edge and so arranged that the same number, 2 for instance, or similar character, shall be on opposite sides of said disk. It also has two small holes l1 on opposite sides of its center for inserting a key (Fig. 13) to turn said disk, as presently described. Disk 11 of Figs. 4: and 6, and of Figs. 7 8, 9, 10 is free to rotate between covering disks 3 and 4, and it may be made of any thin material such as fiber, metal, or cardboard, such as playing cards are made of.

Fig. 11 illustrates another way of putting a card, a marking disk, &c., together, in which 10 represents a card whose thickness is much enlarged. A stamping die is used tomake a depression in its center on its face and there may be a corresponding ele-. vation on its back. Marking disk 11 is then inserted in this depression and a covering disk 12 is placed over said disk 10 and its edge pasted or secured to card 10. Holes 13 and 13 in the back of card 10, and holes 12 and 12 in covering disk 12 serve the same purpose as the holes similarly numbered in Figs. 4, 6, 9 and 10.

Fig. 12 illustrates still another manner of putting the parts together. Playing cards are usually made of several layers of paper nicely pressed and secured together. In Fig. 12 one or more layers of the same diameter as the covering disks l2 and 13 are removed from both the face and the back of the card body 10, whose thickness as in Fig. 11 is much increased. A hole is cut through thecenter of card 10 and marking disk 11 is inserted therein, after which covering disks 12 and 13 are placed in position and made fast, so that the card with the several parts secured thereto is of the same thickness throughout.

Fig. 13 illustrates a device or key for turning marking disk 11 to any desired position. It consists of a main shaft or body 6, a head 7 and two pins 8 inserted in said head. Said pins are slightly smaller than holes 11" 1n disk 11, and they are the same distance apart as said holes 11. To mark any given card from 1 to 4 as desired pins 8 of said key ar inserted in holes 11 and disk 11 is rotated between covering disks 12 and 13 through hole 12" in disk 12. As holes 12 1n disk 12 are opposite each other, and corresponding figures, 2 for instance, near the until the desired number 2 in Fig. 3, shows edge of disk 11 are opposite each other, when f number will show through holes 13*, as in Fig. 6. Hence a given card will always ihow the same number on its back and on its ace.

lVhile in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the markings of the cards for hands 1, 2, 3 and a are permanent, in Figs. 1 and 6, at 809., the numbers on the cards can be readily changed, so that any given 13 cards can be marked for a hand of a given number and after being.played one or more times the numbers of all the cards of that hand may be changed. The card of'Fig. 4: (face) and Fig. 6 (back) is numbered for hand 2. But a player may readily change the number so that said card shall belong to hand 1, 3 or 4 by inserting the key of Fig. 13 and turning disk 11 until the desired figure 1, 3 or 4 appears at holes 12 (Fig. 4) and 13 (Fig. 6). Moreover, if any 13 cards are stacked faces down or backs down on pins 8 of Fig. 13, and all the cards are then turned until their ends and sides are parallel and even, and said key (Fig. 13) is withdrawn, it will be found that disks 11 of all 13 cards will stand in such position that the same number 1, 2, 3 or 4, as the case may be, will appear both on the faces and backs of all 13 cards.

I claim:

1. In games of cards, a pack of playing cards capable of being dealt into hands for playing a given game, each card consisting a of one plece and playing a given ame, each card being made aving associated therewith a rotary marking device within and ided by a circular cavlty in said card where y the cards forming a given set of hands having been played and commingled may be readily separated and recombined into the same grou s as they formed before playing.

recognize to -w at players 3. 11 games of cards, a pack of playing cards, capable'of being dealt into hands for playing a given game, each card of which is made of one piece and has combined therewith a rotary marking device within and guided by a circular cavity in said card, whereby, after the cards have been, pla ed and shuflled to 'ether the pla ers can rea ily and each card belonged and can regroup the cards accordingly.

4.. In games of cards, a pack of playing cards capable of being dealt into hands for playing a given game, each card of which is made of one piece and has combined therewith a rotary marking device within and guided by a circular cavity in said card .for similarly marking all cards of each player and for changing said markings as desired, whereby said cards afterbeing played may be readily regrouped into the original hands or regrouped into other hands.

5. n ames of cards, a playing card made of one piece and having combined therewith a rotary marking device within and uided by a circular cavity in said card, w 'ereby said card may be markedto indicate the hand to which it belonged during the play ing of a given hand, an after the playing of each hand regrouped with similarly marked cards into the same hand, or its marking changed for regrouping with diflferently marked cards into another hand.

6. In games of cards, a playing card made of one piece, a rotary markingdevice rotating within and guided by a circular cavity in said card and means for enabling a player to readily change the marking of said card by shifting said markin device.

7. In games of cards, a p aying card, a movable marking device rotating within and guided by a circular cavity in said card, means .for securing said marking device in position and permitting rotation thereof and having, an aperture therethrough, indicia on said marking device, and means for rotating 'said marking device, whereby any one or other of said indicia may be exposed through said aperture.

8. In games of cards, a pack of playing cards capable of being dealt into hands for playing a given game, each card of which has a circular cavit therein, a circular disk rotating within an guided by said cavity, and means for holding said disk concentric with the cavity in said card, while leaving it free to be rotated about its center within said cavity.

JAMES R. SILLIMAN, JR. 

